Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Books

Investigative Science

This week for STEM Friday, we’re featuring Sandra Markle’s new book The Case of the Vanishing Honeybees: A Scientific Mystery.

What’s killing the bees? That’s a mystery scientists and gardeners have been investigating for years now. Our bee population is dropping. This matters because about one-third of our food supply is pollinated by bees. Apples, almonds, apricots, and avocados, for a start…and that’s just food starting with A.

Here in Minneapolis, researchers at the University of Minnesota have determined that pesticides killed three hives of bees last month. Someone in a residential area sprayed a house and some nearby plants, and the bees inadvertently took the poison back to their hives to share it with the group. Read more here:

So is it just pesticides that’s causing our bees to die off? That’s unlikely, though it is one important cause. Students can follow along in the investigation of a real-life science mystery in The Case of the Vanishing Honeybees: A Scientific Mystery. And furthermore, check out our FREE teaching resources. These activities, written by author Sandra Markle, invite students to dig deeper into the story of the disappearing honeybees.